Kylian Mbappe helped France win the FIFA World Cup four years ago, becoming a superstar in the process. This time, the tournament could serve as a welcome escape from the pressures of Paris Saint-Germain, and also a chance to play in his favourite position. (More Football News)
For Karim Benzema, it바카라s an opportunity to showcase the talent that led him to winning the prestigious Ballon d바카라Or at nearly 35 years old. Their paths to Qatar have greatly diverged.
When the 19-year-old Mbappe scored in the FIFA World Cup final four years ago, he was the youngest player since Pele in 1958 to score in the deciding match. Benzema was nowhere close to Moscow at the time because the Real Madrid forward was exiled from the national team.
Although they played together at last year바카라s European Championship, Benzema was only just coming back with Les Bleus and things didn바카라t quite click between them. They바카라ve since shown how effective they are in tandem 바카라 sharing six goals in one World Cup qualifying win that France coach Didier Deschamps called 바카라a beautiful night of soccer.바카라
Benzema is second all-time on Madrid바카라s scoring list behind Cristiano Ronaldo with 329 goals. MbappĂ©, expected to break Edinson Cavani바카라s PSG record of 200 this season, already has 28 goals for France. Benzema has 37, with 10 in his past 16 internationals.
They will form the most lethal attack in Qatar. Especially if MbappĂ© has the freedom he craves away from the frustration of playing center forward for PSG. He바카라d much rather peel off a target man like Olivier Giroud, thereby using his pace and skill to attack from deep or wide.
바카라I have much more freedom (with France). The coach (Deschamps) knows there is a No. 9 like Olivier (Giroud) who takes care of the defenders so I can run around, move into space, ask for the ball,바카라 MbappĂ© said in September, after Giroud set him up for a goal in a Nations League win over Austria. 바카라With Paris it바카라s different, that doesn바카라t happen, I바카라m asked to play as a pivot (central striker).바카라
After a 0-0 draw with Reims earlier this month, MbappĂ© took his frustrations online by posting a sarcastic-looking hashtag entitled #pivotgang on Instagram. A 바카라pivot바카라 is the French soccer term for a central striker who also operates as a link player with his back to goal, like Giroud does and MbappĂ© doesn바카라t want to.
Giroud needs two goals to equal Thierry Henry바카라s national record of 51. But Deschamps might prefer Antoine Griezmann, now that he바카라s back in form with Atletico Madrid.
STRESSFUL TIMES
MbappĂ© has had other things on his mind, too, recently denying he바카라s unhappy at PSG and that he바카라s pushing for a move to Real Madrid 바카라 which has twice failed to sign him.
He바카라s also had to deal with allegations from French investigative media Mediapart claiming that PSG hired an external company to create fake Twitter accounts in a bid to denigrate media perceived as hostile to the club.
Mediapart claimed former PSG midfielder Adrien Rabiot was targeted along with MbappĂ© 바카라 after reports in 2019 that MbappĂ© wanted to join Madrid. So getting back to business with France at the World Cup could be a relief for MbappĂ©. However, he has a point to prove after flopping at last year바카라s European Championship.
Although Benzema had four goals and Griezmann netted once, MbappĂ© didn바카라t score and missed the decisive penalty when France got knocked out by Switzerland in the round of 16.
ALARM BELLS
France should take that loss to Switzerland as a healthy warning sign. Not since Brazil lost the 1998 final to France has the defending World Cup champion come close to retaining the title. Of the next five champions, four failed to reach the knockout stage and three were last in their group 바카라 including France in 2002.
France should be in the running for first place in Group D, along with Euro 2020 semfinalist Denmark. Australia and Tunisia are also in the group.
INJURY WOES
Deschamps has an attack that바카라s the envy of world soccer and two fine goalkeepers in veteran Hugo Lloris and Mike Maignan. But Deschamps has significant injury problems to major players in defense and midfield.
Central defender Raphael Varane is doubtful after leaving the field in tears with an apparent knee injury when playing for Manchester United in the Premier League. Fellow World Cup winner Paul Pogba has not played since April, and only has only just returned to training with Juventus following knee surgery. It gives him little time to be ready.
Pogba has also been mired in an extortion scandal involving his older brother that could generate more unwelcome headlines. N바카라Golo KantĂ© was another key part of France바카라s World Cup success. But the Chelsea midfielder is out for several months after surgery on a hamstring injury.
